March 24, 2026
NYC Driver Loses Taxi License Over $14K E-ZPass Bill He Thought Was Paid
A New York City livery driver is calling out the MTA after his commission license was suspended over nearly $15,000 in E-ZPass fees he says he didn’t know he owed.
A professional driver in New York City has had his Taxi and Limousine Commission license suspended over more than $14,000 in E-ZPass late fees, he says he didn’t know he owed.
Luis Corporan, who has driven for the Commission for more than a decade, has been off the road since Feb. 9 after the Department of Motor Vehicles suspended his registration for unpaid tolls and fees, he told CBS News. A breakdown from the DMV shows he owes $2,134.71 in tolls and $11,900 in fees—bringing the total to $14,034.71.
“As drivers, we have to be on top of it, but I was on top of it, paying my toll bills,” Corporan said.
“When I heard the amount … there was no words,” he added. “I just hung up the phone and started just thinking, where I get the money from?”
Corporan said he received some notices but believed they were for tolls he had already paid through the app. He questioned why his transponder seemed to work at certain tolls but not others.
“Why wasn’t it reading here, but then it started working over there?” he said.
When asked how the fees grew so large without Corporan’s knowledge, a spokesperson for the MTA said, “People who pay their tolls don’t pay fines.”
Corporan’s case adds to growing concerns over high fees and confusion about alleged toll violations, with drivers saying they believed they were paying but were later hit with DMV suspensions and unexpected bills.
Chris Zimring of Staten Island said he was never notified about late fees and ended up owing $25,000, while Melissa Lichtman said a license plate error led to a bill of more than $3,000. Brooklyn resident Ian Chichester was initially charged $35,034.06 but negotiated an 80% reduction with the MTA, lowering the total to about $10,106.95.
The MTA has characterized the cases as “willful, persistent toll evasion,” but State Assemblymember Mike Reilly disagrees.
“To me, that is just sheer not caring about people,” Reilly said.
The MTA maintains that its fees are lawful, citing court rulings, but Reilly is pushing back by introducing legislation to cap what he calls crippling charges for his constituents.
“Even though something is legal doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “That just means that we haven’t passed my legislation that caps what they can charge.”
Corporan said the MTA offered to settle his debt for about $8,000, but only if he paid the same day, which he couldn’t afford. Now, after more than a month without income, he says he’s in an even tougher position.
“I have four girls… this is how I support them,” he said.
MTA Chair Janno Lieber said a toll-payer advocate is available to help, but Corporan said he reached out on Feb. 17 and has yet to hear back.
“I just want people to come together, come together and speak out,” Corporan said. “I’m not the first and I probably won’t be the last.”
RELATED CONTENT: Black, Middle Class New Yorkers Feel New Tax-Hike Plan Makes Them A Direct Target
